October 2012

Nesquehoning Police handed out Halloween safety bags to students in kindergarten through second grades at the Panther Valley Elementary School. The bags were made possible through donations by Atty. Michael Greek and the Kovatch Corporation. Seen are officers Tim Wuttke, and Chad McGowan. In the back is Chief Sean Smith who said that 500 bags were distributed to the school. The program is part of the DARE program and is in its fifth year at the school. Safety coloring books and bracelets were in the bag. Standing in line with her students is Chris Diekman, kindergarten teacher.

Two Pottsville drivers are facing a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) in separate incidents.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Robert Ellis, 21, was stopped along Maple Avenue at Westwood Road, in Norwegian Township, about 1:18 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, for an equipment problem and an expired registration.

Ellis showed signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests. He was then taken to the Schuylkill Medical Center-S. Jackson St., Pottsville, for a blood test. Charges will be filed, troopers added.

MICHAEL A. HEERY/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS Lehighton Area School Board has hired Sean LeDonne, right, as supervisor of special services. She replaces Shaun McElmoyle, who resigned his position in August to become special education supervisor at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21. With LeDonne is school board President Rocky Ahner.

By MICHAEL A. HEERY TN Correspondent tneditor@tnonline.com

After five years away from Lehighton Area School District, a familiar face will soon return to serve as an administrator of the special education program.

Lehighton Area School Board approved the recommendation to hire Sean LeDonne as supervisor of special services. She had previously served the school district for 13 years as a teacher and assistant supervisor of special services.

The men and boys of St. John's Lutheran Church will hold their monthly newspaper drive on Saturday, Nov. 3. There will be one sweep of the Palmerton, Aquashicola, and Little Gap areas beginning at 8 a.m.

Papers should be bundled and placed within sight of the collectors. They are collecting papers only, no magazines. They also need grocery size brown paper bags. The shiny inserts are acceptable.

Hurricane Sandy may have played a trick, but Lansford, Nesquehoning, Tamaqua and Coaldale are keeping Halloween treat night on schedule for 6-8 p.m. tonight. Summit Hill has rescheduled trick or treat to next Wednesday evening.

Sandy hit with hurricane force and cut power to more than 8.2 million across the East. The cost of the damage caused by the storm is estimated to be around $20 billion. Pictured is a fallen tree on top of a swimming pool of a home located on Haddock Street in Kline Township.

Blue Ridge Communications is asking the public to share in adding some of the warmth of the yuletide season with Keystone Soldiers and its Stockings for Soldiers program, by sending food and hygiene items and Christmas cards to our men and women spending Christmas away from home.

The Stockings for Soldiers program is 100 percent funded by public donations.

Donations can be dropped off at any Blue Ridge Communications office before Nov. 14.

A motorist who apparently avoided traffic cones attempts to go around a large tree that fell across Lentz Trail in Summit Hill, across from the Carbon County Environmental Education Center as a result of the high winds that pounded the region on Monday night. As of noon on Tuesday, the tree remained blocking traffic as well as a downed cable delivery line across the road just east of the intersection of Route 902 and Lentz Trail.

Pocono Mountain Regional police responded to a report of a domestic incident at the PenMart service station along SR196, in Coolbaugh Township, and ended up arresting one of the participants on an outstanding arrest warrant.

Police got the call about 1:41 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. On scene the officers made contact with the two participants, identified as Jamie Tomaselli, 33, and Joseph Metz, 32, of Bartonsville. A want/warrant check revealed that Metz was wanted by the county sheriff's department on a bench warrant.

An Albrightsville, Penn Forest Township, resident has died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning, the result of using a generator due to the affects of Hurricane Sandy.

Carbon County Coroner Bruce Nalesnik said he was called to Gnaden Huetten Hospital in Lehighton Tuesday afternoon, where a 66-year-old male was brought in from an incident in the Valley View Estates section of the township. The male was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Nalesnik said he died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning.

For Pennsylvanians it's getting power back, returning to work

By MARK SCOLFORO and PATRICK WALTERS Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvanians made it through two days of rain and wind from Sandy on Tuesday with hopes of connecting back to the electrical grid, plans to finish cleaning up leaves and limbs and the prospect of returning to jobs or the classroom.

Cleanup won't start for many, as thousands of homes were still without power as of this afternoon. Cutting a tree along Church Road in Rush Township is volunteer firefighter Dyllyn Trexler, from the Quakake Fire Company; who spent that last 2 days with fellow firefighters clearing debris from area roadways.

MIICHAEL A. HEERY/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS In a move that would make the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz proud, Lehighton beagle Snoopy shows off his Great Pumpkin costume for Halloween. Snoopy and all Trick-or-Treaters in Lehighton will enjoy the annual Halloween activity throughout the borough this evening from 6 to 8 p.m.

By MICHAEL A. HEERY TN Correspondent tneditor@tnonline.com

Despite Lehighton Area School District being closed today because of the lingering effects of Superstorm Sandy, "the show will go on" – the Halloween show, that is.

Trick-or-Treat will be held, as scheduled, in the borough of Lehighton this evening from 6 to 8 p.m.

According to Borough Manager Nicole Beckett, "Mayor Donald Rehrig and Chief of Police Neal Ebbert have determined the borough of Lehighton is prepared for Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween night."

Adult Singles 35-and-over meet Friday evenings at 7 p.m. in the Castle for study, games and snacks. They are currently doing an Ed Young study on relationships.

"October Baby" is being shown on Monday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Castle presented by Cord of Three Women's Ministry & Care Net of Carbon County. This movie is rated PG-13. Meet Suzi Demara as she shares the mission and view of Care Net.

A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. with a canned food drive.

Residents from the Village at Palmerton were safely evacuated yesterday afternoon in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

In what proved to be a relatively seamless transition, the residents were transported via the Palmerton Ambulance Association, wheelchair transport, and walkers, according to Chris Lilly, office manager.

Lilly said over 40 residents were taken to the West End Fire Company, while those who chose to go home were picked up by their families and spent the night with their loved ones.

Members and volunteers of the Tamaqua Salvation Army have again opened the doors to their community center today.

Major Sharon Whispell stated, "We were grateful to serve over 300 meals Tuesday."

Nationwide, the Salvation Army has begun feeding operations at shelters along the East Coast. Centers all over have opened their centers, offering meals, warm drinks, activities and a safe place to be during the storm and power outage.

Two TIMES NEWS area football games have been moved from Friday to Saturday.

The Tamaqua at Marian game, which will decide the Anthracite Football League championship, was originally scheduled for Friday evening but has been moved to Saturday at 7 p.m. If power hasn't returned by Saturday, the game may be moved up to an afternoon start on Saturday.

Also, the Lehighton at Jim Thorpe contest has been rescheduled. The battle for the Route 209 trophy will now take place at 4:30 p.m.

Widespread electrical outages caused by Hurricane Sandy triggered a surge in generator sales. But Carbon County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Nalesnik urges people to read the safety precautions before firing up the alternative power sources.

A Penn Forest Township resident is believed to have died on Tuesday from carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator being operated in an attached garage.

"Do not use a generator inside a building or next to an open door, because the wind blows carbon monoxide back into the building," Nalesnik cautions.

Carbon County Commissioner, Tom J. Gerhard, left, with Kamara Litchauer, at a booth sponsored by the Carbon County Animal Shelter. Litchauer came up with the idea for Dog Days in the Park as her senior project at Lehighton Area High School. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the shelter. Despite the rain and threatening weather Sunday, Litchauer considered Dog Days in the Park a success.

DARE instructor and Police Leutenant David Midas with the Carbon County Sheriff's office talked with children about the DARE program and Halloween Safety at the Panther Valley Public Library in Lansford over the weekend. In addition to telling kids the dangers of drugs, Midas, who is also a police officer with the Lansford Police Department, stressed the importance of being safe and avoiding strangers during Lansford's Trick Or Treat night, Wed. Oct. 31 from 6 - 8 p.m.

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS Kindergarten students Micah Lawson, Connor Rehnert, and Xander Nunemacher pose for pictures in their Halloween costumes.

Our Lady of The Angels Academy in Lansford celebrated Red Ribbon Week last week with a variety of activities, lessons, and theme days.

On Monday students participated in "Are You Red-y To Be Drug Free?" Day, where the school body dressed in red, received their red ribbons to wear throughout the week, and created a human red ribbon. Pledges were also signed in each classroom where the students pledged to remain the best them they can be while maintaining a healthy, drug and alcohol free body.

Curry, the state's leader in career high school football coaching victories, has made his return to sidelines at Berwick Area High School a spectacular one: At 8-1, Berwick has qualified for the upcoming District 2 Class AAA playoff and burnished Curry's extraordinary credentials.